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A review by kj468
The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
PLEASE READ THIS BOOK!! 12 out of 5🌟
—
This might be a controversial stance, but here it is: I’m not stingy with five-star ratings. If I thoroughly enjoy a book and have no major complaints, if a book executes its intended genre well and I’m happy with the story, I’m usually inclined to give it all of the stars — even if the book isn’t objectively a masterpiece or the next great literary classic.
However, even if I were a hesitant 5-starer — if, say, I only gave out one or two a year — I can assure you with 100% certainty that The Charm Offensive would still get five stars. As it stands, I’m giving this book twelve stars (approximately one star for every hour I spent binge reading it), because sometimes the five-point scale just can’t capture how much you love something.
The Charm Offensive is so deft, so caring in the way it handles so many different topics — topics I’ve seen butchered even by experienced authors I trust. The plot is romantic as hell and follows a familiar pace and is chock full of some of my favorite tropes. But also, it doesn’t shy away from more serious topics — things like mental health, and the importance of queer representation, and ace-spectrum identities, and journeys of queer self-discovery.
People who know me know that one of my favorite rants is the importance of queer representation in media. Not just because it’s important for queer youth and queer adults to see themselves represented, but also because seeing queer identities, queer romances, queer stories told and celebrated — for many people that can be the catalyst for looking inward and discovering truths about themselves. This book is practically an ode to that rant, and reading it made me feel whole and happy in a way that I can’t put into words.
Please, please read this book. It’s a charming (ha) rom-com, it’s a love letter to neurodivergent folks, it’s a celebration of the representation that queer people are — and have been — fighting for. This book spoke to me, and I hope it speaks to you too. 12/5🌟
—
This might be a controversial stance, but here it is: I’m not stingy with five-star ratings. If I thoroughly enjoy a book and have no major complaints, if a book executes its intended genre well and I’m happy with the story, I’m usually inclined to give it all of the stars — even if the book isn’t objectively a masterpiece or the next great literary classic.
However, even if I were a hesitant 5-starer — if, say, I only gave out one or two a year — I can assure you with 100% certainty that The Charm Offensive would still get five stars. As it stands, I’m giving this book twelve stars (approximately one star for every hour I spent binge reading it), because sometimes the five-point scale just can’t capture how much you love something.
The Charm Offensive is so deft, so caring in the way it handles so many different topics — topics I’ve seen butchered even by experienced authors I trust. The plot is romantic as hell and follows a familiar pace and is chock full of some of my favorite tropes. But also, it doesn’t shy away from more serious topics — things like mental health, and the importance of queer representation, and ace-spectrum identities, and journeys of queer self-discovery.
People who know me know that one of my favorite rants is the importance of queer representation in media. Not just because it’s important for queer youth and queer adults to see themselves represented, but also because seeing queer identities, queer romances, queer stories told and celebrated — for many people that can be the catalyst for looking inward and discovering truths about themselves. This book is practically an ode to that rant, and reading it made me feel whole and happy in a way that I can’t put into words.
Please, please read this book. It’s a charming (ha) rom-com, it’s a love letter to neurodivergent folks, it’s a celebration of the representation that queer people are — and have been — fighting for. This book spoke to me, and I hope it speaks to you too. 12/5🌟